Medical applications of 3D printing

Abstract

Three-dimensional printing (3DP) is an entirely novel method of manufacture with its applications only limited by the imagination. The mainstay of 3DP utilisation practically to date has been in the field of engineering, largely for the purpose of generating model prototypes. However, the potential of 3DP has increasingly been recognised in areas of commercial manufacture in medicine due to its capacity to produce materials and devices that can equal, if not surpass, the benefits of traditional consumer goods. The opportunities for future uses are innumerable ranging from tissue engineering, the on-demand fabrication of medical devices and advanced applications in other fields with the same pressing need for medical personalisation. The 3D printing arena is ultimately exciting and endless in opportunities with the FDA encouraging the development of science and risk based approaches. This chapter will discuss the existing and future medical applications of 3DP and its potential to revolutionise medical practice.